Final Selection
This article is about the event called "'Final Selection'". For the episode, see 'Episode 4. For the story arc, see '''Final Selection Arc'' is an event held by the Demon Slayer Corps to determine young swordsman's acceptance into the organization. Candidates must survive seven days in a demon forest on Mt. Fujikasane to be selected as full fledged Demon Slayer Swordsmen. Prologue Tanjiro completes his training and recovers his strength for the upcoming selection event. On the day of, Tanjiro dons his sensei's kimono and a warding mask in the shape of a fox. Before setting off, Tanjiro says goodbye to his sister Nezuko and promises to return. Mr. Urokodaki promises to take care of the girl while the boy is away. He's also asked to say hello to Sabito and Makomo, who unbeknownst to Tanjiro, are two of Urokodaki's dead children. At the base of Mt. Fujikasane Tanjiro walks along the entrance path, admiring the wisteria flowers along the way. He reaches the orientation grounds where at least twenty other young swordsmen are waiting. Two ushers, one white and one black, begin the orientation ceremony. The ushers explain that there are demons on the mountain that can't escape because of the wisteria flowers. There are no more wisteria flowers beyond these grounds and several demons abound in the forest. Candidates must survive seven days on the mountain to pass Final Selection. The usher's ask the candidates to move ahead to the demon laced forest, signaling the start of the event. Trial Determined to survive seven days, Tanjiro runs through the forest, heading east where sunlight will touch the mountain first. He knows he can rest in the morning when the demons are hiding, so he makes haste and focuses on surviving the night. !]] Shortly after starting his quest, Tanjiro stops suddenly and notices the smell of a demon. He looks around, unable to locate the threat until he realizes a demon is pouncing at him from above. The swordsman in training rolls out of the way in time to avoid the attack. A second demon appears out of nowhere and tries to scratch Tanjiro from behind. The latter notices in time and deflects the demon's claws with his katana. The two demon's start arguing over their prey while Tanjiro mulls over having to face two demons from the start. Both demons rush Tanjiro, for the chance to devour him. He deflects both their attacks with his sword, but he's pushed back by a kick from behind he's barely able to block. Tanjiro relaxes from the rush of battle and focuses on remembering his training. The demon's rush Tanjiro again, and this time, Tanjiro calmly uses Total Concentration Breathing to reveal the scent of the opening thread. The thread guides his sword and Tanjiro slashes through their openings with Water Breathing Fourth Form: Striking Tide! Proud, Tanjiro takes a moment to celebrate that he has defeated his first demons, proving his hard work has paid off. While praying for his fallen foes, Tanjiro notices a putrid smell and the sound another participant running away screaming. In hot pursuit is a large, green morphed demon moving through the dark forest. The demon ensnares the fleeing boy and Tanjiro leaps into action to save him, using Water Wheel to cut the demon's elongated arms. The Hand Demon recognizes Tanjiro as one of Urokodaki's students because of his warding mask. He claims to have eaten dozens of candidates including thirteen of Urokodaki's students. Among those thirteen are Sabito and Makomo, who watch over Tanjiro. Enraged, Tanjiro attacks only to punished for acting recklessly and knocked out. He's left for dead by the other candidate but awakens due to a vision of his late younger brother. Tanjiro recovers and resolves to avenge Urokodaki's children. He manages to use Total Concentration Breathing to reveal an opening in the demon's defense and severs its head with Water Surface Slash! After the battle, Tanjiro prays for the demon after sensing a bit of its troubled past with its own family. The spirits watching over Tanjiro can finally rest in peace now that he has defeated their killer. It begins to downpour and Tanjiro flees from pursuing demons in the forest. He traps one in the root of a tree and asks it for information on how to revert a demon back into a human. The bloodthirsty demon ignores the boy and breaks free from its restraints, forcing Tanjiro to behead it. He continues to fend off more demons but fails to find out any useful information. Eventually, Tanjiro moves east until he arrives in an area full of wisteria flowers. At the end of seven days, only four survivors remain to attend the closing ceremony. Survivors Aftermath Tanjiro laments being unable to save one of the other candidates. Zenitsu, one of the survivors, expresses his fear that he's going to die eventually no matter what. The Black and White Usher's return for the closing ceremony and congratulates the survivors on becoming honorary demon slayers. Impatient, Genya asks where his Nichirin Sword is. . ]] The ushers explain that first, each of the surviving candidates will be issued uniforms and their ranks will be engraved. They will also get to choose the ore for their swords, but they won't be completed for ten to fifteen days. Each of them is assigned a Kasugai Crow, primarily used for communication. Genya tries to threaten one of the ushers into giving him a color-changing blade, but Tanjiro breaks up the incident by gripping the former's arm with great force. The foursome gets to choose ore for their swords immediately after, but none of them seem to know which to select. Tanjiro uses his sense of smell to choose one of the ores and leaves shortly afterward. Battles References Navigation Category:Important Terminology